Dating in your 20s is hard enough. But once you get to your 80s and 90s (if you are lucky enough to make it that long), the thought of going out to meet new people and trying to make a connection sounds downright exhausting. But not for these two.
More: An unexpected dream gave me the courage to leave my marriage
Last weekend, 93-year-old Miriam Steiner and 90-year-old Harold Sharlin were set up on a blind date by Sharlin's granddaughter after she met Steiner at her restaurant job. The two met up at Politics & Prose, a bookstore and coffeehouse in Washington, D.C. The rest is history. Naturally, the staff at the bookstore wanted to talk to them and took their photo, which then ended up on Facebook. See below:
Senior Dating
Amazing, right? But the real lesson comes from what Steiner told Today:
"It's very unusual. We're both in our 90s. We're both handicapped. Neither of us drive ... It's not easy, making connections as a senior, but we need it. It's up there with Medicare and Social Security. I hope people remember that."
Exactly. Connection. It matters at any age. It's so easy to forget in this world how very much we all need one another. Just last night my husband and I were discussing what would happen if something horrible happened to one of us. Would you date again?
More: 4 apps scientifically proven to mend a breakup
I'd like to believe he wouldn't. I'd like to say I wouldn't. He is my great love. But then what? I would spend the rest of my days with no love, no companion, just waiting to die? Better to find a friend. Maybe not a great love. Maybe not a soulmate (definitely not a soulmate), but at least someone to go to movies with, share a laugh with and enjoy. Life is meant to be lived together. Without connection, we risk deep unhappiness. Kudos to these two for knowing that and for using their energy to keep things fresh. They are incredibly alive and inspiring.